He can play it all, from Hamlet to Hawkeye. For Daniel Day-Lewis, acting is a very serious game.

It is an actor's passion to observe the world. It is his art to become what he observes. And finally it is his job to let the world observe him. It's hard work, reconciling the natures of voyeur and exhibitionist. And when stardom falls on an actor, it is tougher to play the role demanded by the press and public: himself.

It is a role Daniel Day-Lewis would rather avoid. "I love to sit and watch people. I love to sit and listen to people. And I do bitterly resent that it's not always possible now, because I'm an object of...